Greenwald: Terrorism used as ‘pretext’ for mass data collection

‘Terrorism is being used as a “pretext” by governments and intelligence services to indiscriminately collect people’s personal data without making citizens any safer, according to award-winning journalist Glenn Greenwald.
As home secretary, Theresa May was a strong advocate of bulk data collection. She memorably said at the time: “We have to have a haystack to be able to find the needle that we need to keep the public safe.”
Now that she is Prime Minister, May has implemented the Investigatory Powers Act, dubbed the ‘snooper’s charter’ by its critics, which forces internet companies to retain people’s personal information for up to 12 months.
The Act also protects the ability of Britain’s domestic intelligence agencies, GCHQ and MI5, to bulk-collect communications data and hack into electronic devices.
However, speaking at the Royal Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce (RSA) in London on Tuesday evening, Greenwald said mass surveillance is actually counter-productive in efforts to pin down terrorists.’
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